Once and Future
by TheRealMerlin
Summary: When Merlin's life finally faded away, he was content to leave the world. It no longer needed him, nor his king, and he could rest at last. But, any prospects of an afterlife vanished immediately after as instead of sleeping, he abruptly awoke, in the body of a small child and a room he could not recognize for the life of him. Well, that plan was botched. AU, Non-Canon.
1. Prologue

When Merlin's life finally faded away, he was content to leave the world. It no longer needed him, nor his king, and he could rest at last. But he couldn't help his concern for the magical world's well-being; He had devoted his life to the spread, cultivation and preservation of magic, and he hoped the people of the future would utilize their talents for good, unlike Morgan.

Deep down, however, Merlin knew the world would only need him should it be in the greatest of peril, and with that, he settled his consciousness down in hopes of finally reuniting with Arthur again.

But, any prospects of an afterlife vanished immediately after as instead of sleeping, he abruptly awoke, in the body of a small child and a room he could not recognize for the life of him.

Well, that plan was botched.


	2. The Letter

**AN: Hello, readers! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, so I may have a few errors in here. This may or may not follow the canon, but for the most part, the storyline will be mine. Thank you for clicking on this story, and I hope you enjoy it.**

 **-TRM**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Harry Potter- it belongs to JK Rowling.**

It was disorienting, really.

To die one moment, seeing black, and in the next, awaken in another body some thousand years in the future.

This was the first thought Merlin had when he awoke in his reincarnated body.

Of course, the situation he was in made coping with all of it even worse. He was two years old, couldn't speak coherently, yet was probably far more intelligent than some of the adults caring for him in the orphanage.

By the time he was three, when he was able to ask questions, the warden just told him that he appeared on the doorstep one dark, stormy night. She told him he could choose his own name, for he came with none, and he chose Ambrosia Wilt, his ironic sense getting the better of him at that moment. And so life went on at the heftily dubbed Refuge for Orphaned Witches, Wizards and Squibs.

Once he had the opportunity to get a good look at himself he realized he had become the fairer sex (Oh, the irony. He was fairly certain the powers above were laughing at his expense). But, he supposed, he just had to deal with it- this wasn't the first time he'd been a girl. He _could_ shapeshift, after all. It seemed he was a female version of his old body- The same honey-brown hair, bright, green eyes and pale skin. Perhaps one of the larger problems with his new body was that he was sensitive to sunlight. If he were to be out in the sun, he must be covered from head to toe, excepting his face. His eyes would burn in any light, and he wore shaded goggles for the most part, thus estranging him to the other children.

Most children at the orphanage didn't have many bouts of accidental magic, like many underage witches and wizards, for they were not magically stimulated by parents they didn't have, and so many turned out to be squibs or magically stunted. Thus, when a child at the orphanage turned eleven, it was a day of anticipation and suspense for all of its residents as they awaited a letter from Hogwarts to arrive.

The same could be said for Ambrosia's.

That morning- August 22nd, she awoke to many pudgy, curious faces surrounding her. This happened to every child who turned eleven, and Ambrosia swallowed in unease at the close proximity. As she sat up, she shooed them away to get dressed in a private room. All day, they followed her- through the dorms, to breakfast, all happily chatting to her about how they hoped she would get a letter, for they'd not seen one in two years. Really, all they cared about was the letter- not one of the children had ever bothered to learn her name, and Ambrosia saw no sense in forcing them to learn it.

By noon, most of the children had let her be, giving up hope that the letter would be coming so late. In fact, there was no sign of one all day.

But at midnight, while Ambrosia read by moonlight as the others slept, she heard a soft fluttering sound, and suddenly a small, brown owl alighted on the windowsill before her. In its maw was the letter- she took it with thanks before sheepishly apologizing for her lack of payment for the postage; She fed it some candy instead.

Ambrosia broke the seal on the letter, the crisp, white parchment barely making a sound as she read the introduction:

Ambrosia Wilt

Miss Sandybrook's Refuge for Orphaned Witches, Wizards and Squibs

Longshire

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Wilt,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 23 August.

Yours sincerely,

Minverva Mcgonagall

Deputy Headmistress

After reading the list of supplies, she scribbled her reply on a pice of parchment lying around:

Dear Ms. Mcgonagall,

I have read your letter and thank you for it. However, I must express my concern that due to fiscal reasons, I will not be able to attend. I have no money, and have never left the orphanage, and thus I have little to no knowledge of the wizarding world, let alone where to purchase my supplies.

I would be deeply grateful if you could spare someone to assist me in preparing for the upcoming school year.

Yours truly,

Ambrosia Wilt

Folding up her letter nicely, Ambrosia handed it to the owl, who flew away shortly after. It returned an hour later with Mcgonagall's response:

Dear Miss Wilt,

I understand your plight and am willing to escort you to Diagon Alley and pay for your necessary supplies. I will pick you up at precisely 8am sharp tomorrow morning. Bring nothing but yourself and the required list.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva Mcgonagall

Deputy Headmistress

After the owl parted, Ambrosia relayed the information to the warden, Miss Sandybrook, and returned to reading for the rest of the night- she didn't sleep much. Unfortunately, she still had to bear her past burdens, and that meant all the night terrors of Arthur's death. When the children began to awaken, she hastily slid her reading material underneath a loose floorboard and the letters in her pocket. in an hour, Ms. Mcgonagall would come, and Ambrosia would like to keep the news of her acceptance under wraps until at least then to avoid unwanted attention.

ITSTOODANGEROUSTOGOALONETAKETHISITSTOODANGEROUSTOGOALONETAKETHIS

Ambrosia, now changed into the grey gown the orphanage provided, stared out the dirty window in the foyer of the orphanage, breath fogging up the pane as she attempted to look at the clouds without tearing up at the bright light. Sighing in defeat, she replaced her thick, leather goggles over her eyes, knowing very well that she looked like a freak with them on.

She drew her knees to her chest as she sat on the sill, the list crinkling in her pocket. she heard a faint popping sound and realized the Deputy Headmistress had arrived.

Miss Sandybrook knew this as well, and hurriedly ushered her out of the room to wait until she was told to come out.

Pressing her ear against the mahogany door, Ambrosia heard the muffled clicking of heels and inaudible conversation. A moment later, Miss Sandybrook called out for her, and Ambrosia tried her hardest to suppress her magical aura- it wouldn't do for anyone to find out who she was if she was going to have a normal school year. Praying the Headmistress wouldn't sense her essence, she timidly stepped through the doorframe and into the foyer. She looked up to meet the Headmistress'es eyes.

She was an older woman with her grey hair tied into a tight updo and a few stray hairs. She wore a stern expression, but her eyes were soft and smiling. Atop her head was a wide-brimmed, pointy hat and she was dressed in a green velvet robe. The Headmistress smiled at her. Ambrosia smiled back. She was safe. Thank goodness.

"Hello, young one. You must be Ambrosia."

"Yes, Headmistress."

"You may call me professor. I teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts."

"Okay, then." Ambrosia kept her head facing the professor, but her eyes were downcast. Luckily, the glass was so thick that her eyes weren't all too visible.

"Shall we get going?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Hold onto my arm- tightly, now. We are going to apparate. It may make you dizzy."

Ambrosia nodded, and grasped the woman's arm. She felt a tugging at her navel and her ears popped, and suddenly, they were standing in front of a brick wall in an abandoned alley. the professor looked to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Now, let me open the gate." Professor Mcgonagall began tapping in some sort of pattern on the bricks with her wand, and they slowly reorganized away from each other, a large brick arch forming above them. Nifty trick, Ambrosia thought. 'T was a good charm. Mcgonagall motioned for her to walk through. Ambrosia stepped over the wards and was instantly bombarded with thousands of sights and smells on the street before her. Hoards of people of cloaks, robes and regular clothes rushed to and fro, many levitating objects and shopping bags in front of them. It was a bit intimidating, partly because of her small size in ratio and her general fear of social interaction.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Miss Wilt," The professor said.

"Wow," Ambrosia breathed, amazed. She didn't realize how much the magical world had grown until just then. It was good to know her effeorts hadn't been in vain, back in the eleventies.

The professor chuckled behind her. "I had the same reaction the first time I was brought here by my parents. Now, come, and stick close to me." Mcgonagall began walking briskly, and Ambrosia had to take three steps to keep up. "What is the first thing on your list?"

"School Robes, protective gloves and a winter cloak."

"Right. That shop should be just down the street... Here we are."

When they entered the store, they were approached by a hunched old lady. Before Ambrosia could take another step, three measuring tapes were hovering around her and taking the strangest measurments- One even measured the distance from the tip of her nose to her right elbow. Soon enough, three black robes were being placed into a shopping bag, along with a green cloak and gloves, and Ms. Mcgonagall paid without hesitation.

The rest of the list went in mostly the same fashion, and in half an hour they had crossed off all of Ambrosia's textbooks and her telescope. They next went to the apothecary to pick up the cauldron, glass phials and scales, and all that was left was a wand. Talk about saving the best for last. Recieving a wand was an important and memorable part in every witch and wizard's life.

As they approached Ollivander's, Ambrosia stopped to read the sign above and quirked an eyebrow at 'Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'.

"Here are six sickles for the wand. Go on in, dear. I will wait outside."

Wait- she had to go in _alone_? No, thank you.

Her apprehension must have been visible, because Mcgonagall smiled down at her. "Don't worry. Mr. Ollivander is a very nice man. He wouldn't harm a fly."

The reassurance helped a little, and Ambrosia swallowed down the anxiety in her chest. Honestly, she was being silly. She was just going to get a wand, even though she didn't need one and was perfectly capable of weaving spells through her hands. It wasn't like her experience or talent had evaporated when she was reincarnated.

In the end, her curiosity won over and she entered the small shop.

Her nostrils were filled with a dusty smell as she took in the precarious piles of boxes all around her- some neatly stacked on shelves, some teetering towers that by all logic should have fallen over by now. She took a few small steps towards the counter, but there was no one to be seen. Her eyes flicked to a small blue box to her left, and the voice nearly had her jumping out of her skin. "Rosewood, that one. Phoenix feather core, nine inches, and quite springy."

"You scared me."

"I apologize, young lady. I am Mr. Ollivander. Now," he said before she could respond, "Let's try you out some wands, shall we?" He began reaching for a box, then paused and shook his head. "No, not that one.." He began scurrying off in many different directions, and muttering something like, "Perhaps," or "Highly unlikely." This continued for a few minutes until he let out a huff, suddenly stopping.

"Oh, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try out those." He pulled out three consecutive boxes from a high shelf and placed them on the table, opening the first and placing it into Ambrosia's hand before immediately taking it back. "No, no no.." She hadn't even gotten a good look at it before he was handing her another one. "Go on, give it a flick," he said. She did, and immediately it caused a nearby feather pillow to explode.

Wait, why was there even a feather pillow?

Needless to say, feathers were everywhere, and the wand was plucked from her grasp again.

"Amusing, but no, not for you.."

They tried out many wands after that one, but each one more or less had the same results as the last. It seemed Ollivander was becoming quite perplexed.

"This is the longest time it has ever taken for a child to find their wand, in all my years. Perhaps, if you close your eyes and think of your wand, it will make itself known."

"Okay."

She tried concentrating on a wand, and all of a sudden she heard a heavy thunk from somewhere in the back of the store. Ollivander hurried off to fetch the box, and he stopped halfway, his eyes widening. "It cannot be.." He slowly, cautiously, picked up the box and placed it on the counter. It was a bit wider than the other boxes, and Ollivander opened the lid slowly, pulling out a pair of child-sized silver gauntlets.

Instantly Ambrosia's eyes widened. Her gauntlets! How did they find her? She had had those before, in her old life. It was astonishing for them to have survived over the centuries.

"Be careful, child," Ollivander warned. "These gauntlets are very special. They are the only of their kind to ever exist. they belonged," His tone became reverant, "To the most powerful wizard to have ever lived- Merlin."

Ambrosia said nothing, and instead raised her arms over the open gauntlets. In a flash, they shot up of their own accord and buckled around her arms, a perfect fit. The red jewels encrusted on the vambracers sparkled.

"They... they chose you," Ollivander breathed, eyes disbelieving. "When I saw the gauntlets had shrunk, I knew then, but..."

"I know," Was all Ambrosia said, and then she met Ollivander's gaze. In that moment she freed a small part of her aura to test her vambracers, and her eyes glowed gold. (That was one of the difficulties of keeping her identity a secret- Whenever she performed magic, her eyes glowed. How was she supposed to hide that?)

"Merlin. Never in my days.."

Ambrosia shifted uncomfortably under the attention, hoping he'd come out of his reverie. "Um," she said, "You charge six sickles, right?" She moved to pull them from the coin pouch, but Ollivander put his hands out dismissively. "No, no, that's quite alright. Please, you may have them for free."

Ambrosia furrowed her brows. "But it's not right not to pay you."

"Seeing those gauntlets into the right hands is enough payment for me, child, it's alright. I insist."

Ambrosia reluctantly closed the pouch. "Alright.."

Ollivander stared into space for a few seconds before snapping out of it. "Run along, Miss. Take care of the gauntlets. And good luck at Hogwarts."

"Thank you," was all she could think of to say before she left.

When she closed the door, she came face-to-face with a slightly concerned Mcgonagall. "That took ages. Could you not find a wand?"

"I did not find a wand."

Mcgonagall gave her an incredulous look. "You didn't find a wand?" Ambrosia shrugged sheepishly.

"We looked and looked, and instead of a wand, I got these." She presented her vambracers to the professor, who was taken aback a bit.

"I.. I've never heard of that happening. If you don't need a wand to perform magic.. Then you must have a strong magical core." Mcgonagall looked as if she wanted to say something else, but kept quiet.

Strong magical core indeed! Ambrosia fought the urge to laugh at that.

Mcgonagall cleared her throat and straightened. "Well, that was the last thing on your list."

"Wait," Ambrosia said, "I think it also said something about a toad or cat or owl? What does that mean?"

"Hogwarts allows each student to bring one pet."

Ah. Ambrosia didn't have any pets, and didn't want any for the time being.

"I see."

"Now that we have everything, I will take you back home now, Miss Wilt." After they apparated back to the orphanage, Ambrosia paused on the stone steps and smiled. "Thank you for accompanying me and helping me get my supplies, professor."

"It was no trouble, child." Mcgonagall smiled down at her and brushed a stray gray hair behind her ear. "I hope to see you in my class this September." Then there was a pop, and the professor was gone. Ambrosia turned on the steps and quietly pushed open the large mahogany doors.

AN: Thank you for reading, lovlies! Please let me know if this should be continued! I'll refer to Ambrosia as 'she' from now on, so there are no discrepancies.

I had a tough time writing out the whole Ollivander fiasco. Please tell me: Did I get Ollie's character right? I have been fretting so badly over this.

And what about Mcgonagall? How was she? I don't think I got her right, but I don't have much experience writing her. Or any of this, really.

On a side note: I cannot, for the life of me, come up with a title for this story. If you guys have any suggestions, that would be great *cough*freecookies*cough*.

See you next chapter!

-TRM


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